Gary Griffeth

Gary George Griffeth, age 93, of Fargo, passed away peacefully on August 19, 2025. He was born on September 14, 1931, to George and Agnes Griffeth of Casselton.

Gary lived a long and full life marked by his insurance career, dedication to his family, and a love of all things horse and farming related. He will be remembered for his kindness, humor, hard work, generosity and being generally firm of purpose. He was a proud Fighting Sioux fan and UND graduate. He believed strongly in education and funded a scholarship at UND, in the name of his parents, for decades.

Gary began his career in insurance sales and estate planning on June 20, 1960 and retired in 2019 when he realized his memory could no longer support the job he loved. He was appointed Regional Superintendent of Agencies by American Life & Casualty Insurance Company in 1967. He earned the designation of Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) from the American College of Financial Services and served as Past President of FM Association of Life Underwriters. His practice represented 26 top-rated carriers and marketed advanced insurance programs through financial institutions in 5 midwestern states. Primarily, he created estate and succession plans for farmers in rural North Dakota.

Gary's avocations involved breeding Arabian horses and being a gentleman farmer. At one point, there were well over 30 horses at Griffeth Arabians. Gary was a 4-H leader that announced, judged and participated in countless horse shows over the years. The Griffeth family annual vacation involved driving non-stop to Chickasha, Oklahoma, picking up a new horse trailer and driving non-stop back to Fargo. He'd use the trailer all summer, hauling his kids and their horses to area horse shows. He would then sell the 'like new' trailer in the fall, thereby setting up next year's family vacation. Gary's farm in Frazee, Minnesota gave him great pleasure in life as it allowed him to plant crops, make fence, fix fence, bale alfalfa, vaccinate his cattle, stare in awe at the view from 'the point' and perform other gentleman farmer activities. Gary's daughter Leslie coined his nickname Little Big Farmer, and it fit.

Gary is survived by his wife, Charlotte; a large and loving step-family; his children: Scott, Leslie and George (Marla) Griffeth; his grandchildren Randy (Katy) Griffeth, Leah (Casey) Delohery, Chelsea Cassidy, Logan Cassidy, Conner Griffeth, Brian (Katie) Griffeth and his sister, Carol Argall. Gary was preceded in death by his first wife, Opal, his sister Janet Idso and his parents.

Memorial Service: Monday, August 25, 2025, at 2:00 p.m., in West Funeral Home, Casselton, North Dakota, with visitation one hour prior to the service. Family and friends are invited to attend and share memories, and lunch will be served following the service.

Interment: Casselton Cemetery, Casselton, North Dakota.

West Funeral Home & Life Tribute Center

westfuneralhome.com